Debt Ceiling Circus Nears End; Obama Sends in the Clowns

COMMENTARY | The president's handling of the debt ceiling crisis has become a sideshow. Even the usually fawning mainstream media seems embarrassed by Obama's performance. The ringmaster is running out of time and excuses. Enter, the clowns.

Senate jester Al Franken took to the Senate floor and posted a giant sign that said "Welcome Terrorists". Below a story of Larry Flint making an offer of a half-million dollars for Casey Anthony to pose nude, CNN's Wolf Blitzer reports in an "exclusive" interview with Obama's Chief of Staff what White House Spokesman Jay Carney already validated. Obama doesn't have a plan.

Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal just went and pulled off the band-aid and said, "He is a loser."

Even Charles Manson thinks "Obama is an idiot."

Obama said he would "take it to the American people" if he had to. Well, I guess he felt he had to. But, like everything else the foundering president tries these days, it backfired -- badly.

He makes a speech every day now, saying the same thing he said the day before. He brought his debt battle to Twitter and, just as his poll numbers are diving in tandem with his media barrage, New York Daily News reported that his recent Tweet-a-thon cost him more than 40,000 Twitter followers -- almost immediately. A trip to "@BarackObama unfollow" reveals an ongoing thread of irritated posts from his fans.

LeslieTypesLeslie said, "It's annoying & an abuse of his followers." RT @washingtonpost

iAmRyCRyan P. Charette said to @BarackObama "Sad day when you have to #unfollow your own #President because his #twitter handlers are not social media savvy. #SPAM.

hipEchikBramblerose Hillocks tweeted, "Bramblerose out. Give me a bday gift and #UNFOLLOW @BarackObama for SPAMMING twitter! TYVM .." but @rdpatrick of Lavonia, Georgia said, "I want to unfollow @BarackObama but his desperation is too entertaining."

In the meantime, rather than just surreptitiously tweeting his fans, Republican House Speaker John Boehner took his message to all of his fellow representatives and all Americans from the House floor.

"We've tried to do our level best ... but some people continue to say no," Boehner said, and he makes a good point.

We've had the Ryan Plan, The Boehner "Cut, Cap and Balance" Plan, the Gang of Six Plan and the McConnell/Reid Plan. Obama rejected them all. He even changed his mind on the "grand bargain" plan he worked out with John Boehner because he decided he wanted more taxes. Then there's the mysterious All-By-Myself Reid Plan. It might be similar to the Secret Obama Plan but no one really knows. No one has actually seen Obama's plan.

"I stuck my neck out a mile to try to get an agreement with the president of the United States," Boehner stated, to which House Democrats '" who had such a snit over the "you lie" comment - began to boo and hiss.

Boehner's third plan was approved by the House on Friday... or was it his forth? Anyway, not one Democrat voted for it. The ball then went back to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's side of the debt ceiling court -- again. Within two hours - certainly not enough time to read let alone discuss what was in the bill - Democrats simply blocked it from consideration in their chamber where, according to Harry, "The only compromise there is mine."

Harry wants credit for this, so let him have it.

The deadline is now less than 100 hours away.

"It is time for this administration and the other party across the aisle," Boehner fired at them from the podium of the House floor. "Put something on the table! Tell us where you are!"

(Applause, Standing Ovation - from the Republicans)

Sources:

"On debt deal, Daley tells Blitzer: "We are optimistic"", CNN

Anjali Mullany, "President Barack Obama takes debt battle to Twitter, loses more than 40,000 followers in one day", New York Daily News

Mike Mentrek, "House Democrats plan vote on 'resolution of disapproval' for Rep. Joe Wilson's 'You lie!' outburst", Cleveland.com

Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane, "House passes GOP debt bill over objections of Obama, Democrats; Senate votes to table", Washington Post